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Honda and GM Join Forces on Fuel Cell Development

02 Jul 2013

General Motors and Honda have announced a co-development agreement to collaborate on next-generation fuel cell systems and hydrogen storage technologies. The two companies will share their expertise and hope to benefit from economies of scale once they enter the production phase.

Dan Akerson, GM chairman and CEO, said: “This collaboration builds upon Honda and GM’s strengths as leaders in hydrogen fuel cell technology. We are convinced this is the best way to develop this important technology, which has the potential to help reduce the dependence on petroleum and establish sustainable mobility.”

Takanobu Ito, president & CEO of Honda Motor Co. Ltd. said: “Among all zero CO2 emission technologies, fuel cell electric vehicles have a definitive advantage with range and refuelling time that is as good as conventional gasoline cars. Honda and GM are eager to accelerate the market penetration of this ultimate clean mobility technology, and I am excited to form this collaboration to fuse our leading fuel cell technologies and create an advanced system that will be both more capable and more affordable.”

Both companies have a long history in fuel cell vehicle development, with GM launching Project Driveway in 2007 and accruing nearly three million miles of real world driving using a fleet of 119 fuel cell vehicles. Honda began leasing its FCX Clarity to selected customers in 2002 and has deployed a total of 85 units in the US and Japan.

As has already been announced, Honda plans to launch the successor to its FCX Clarity in Japan and the United States from 2015, with a later launch to follow in Europe.